Updated on March 31, 2020
Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA) continues to monitor developments related to the spread of the coronavirus disease, COVID-19. The health and safety of our passengers, visitors and employees is our top priority.
HIAA will continue to work closely with federal and provincial health authorities as well as our service delivery partners to provide updates as they become available.
Impacts on Travel
The Province of Nova Scotia has declared a State of Emergency, and recommends limiting all non-essential travel.
Effective March 23, if you return after being outside Nova Scotia, you must self-isolate for 14 days.
Provincial inspectors are onsite at Halifax Stanfield to help remind people of the travel measures and how to monitor their health for symptoms of COVID-19. Signage to this effect is being updated in domestic and international arrivals areas, as well as other strategic locations in the terminal building.
The Government of Canada has advised all Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside the country until further notice. Travellers are asked to consult www.travel.gc.ca for the latest travel advice.
Additionally, the Government of Canada has implemented new domestic travel measures to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 spreading from travel within Canada. The measures require airlines to conduct a health check of travellers before they board an aircraft with 10 or more seats travelling within Canada. Airlines must refuse boarding to a passenger who has COVID-19 symptoms.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) continue to use additional screening measures at major Canadian airports, including Halifax Stanfield, to ensure travellers are aware they must self-isolate for 14 days and identify any travellers who may be ill. Full details on what the Government is doing at Canadian borders and airports to prevent the spread of COVID-19 can be found on the PHAC website.
What about travel to/from the U.S.?
Canada and the United States agreed to close its shared border to non-essential travel, effective March 21. Reduced flight operations may continue in the coming days by select airlines to repatriate citizens to their home country.
Airline Operations
- Air Canada: U.S. and international flights are suspended from March 31 until April 30. Routes impacted include Boston, Orlando, Tampa, Cayo Coco and Punta Cana. Domestic service will be reduced for the month of April. Service to Sydney, Gander, Deer Lake and Goose Bay will be suspended until April 30.
Learn more - AirTransat: Flights to/from Halifax Stanfield will be gradually suspended until April 30.
Learn more - Porter: All operations at Halifax Stanfield are suspended from March 21 until May 31, with service expected to resume on June 1.
Learn more - Sunwing: All southbound flights from Canada, including from Halifax Stanfield have been suspended until April 30.
Learn more - Swoop: Service to Hamilton will continue to operate but will be reduced for April and May. Service to London, ON. is not due to return until June of 2020.
Learn more - United: Service to/from Newark will be suspended April 1 until further notice.
Learn more - WestJet: U.S. and international flights have been suspended for 30 days starting March 22. Domestic service will decrease for the March 23 – May 5 period. Passengers are asked to contact WestJet for the latest information about their flight.
Learn more
Coming to Halifax Stanfield? Here’s What You Need To Know
Everyone has a role to play to protect themselves and those around them by practicing good personal hygiene, social distancing and adjusting social norms to reduce contact with others.
If you’re flying in/out of Halifax Stanfield, please abide by social distancing recommendations to maintain a 2 metre (6 feet) distance between yourself and others in all areas of the terminal building.
If you’ve travelled outside Canada and have COVID-19 symptoms, you must isolate and avoid public transit upon your return. This includes the MetroX #320 bus route that stops at Halifax Stanfield.
If you’re picking up a passenger who is arriving at the airport after being outside Nova Scotia:
- We’re offering up to 1-hour free parking in the Hourly section of our parkade to make pick-ups efficient and safe for all.
- We recommend waiting in your vehicle, rather than coming inside the terminal building, in support of social distancing and restrictions on group gatherings of more than five people.
- If you must assist a passenger upon arrival, please send only one person into the terminal building to help, per the provincial government recommendations to limit person-to-person contact and in support of social distancing measures.
- If you’re picking up a passenger at the designated curbside area on the lower level, please do not leave your vehicle unattended.
The following precautions are recommended by PHAC to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- Practice social distancing by keeping a distance of 2 metres (6 feet) from others, limiting social interactions and avoiding non-essential gatherings.
- Wash your hands often with soap under warm running water for at least 20 seconds.
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer only if soap and water are not available.
- When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with your arm to reduce the spread of germs.
- Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, nose with unwashed hands.
- Avoid direct personal contact with others.
- If you use a tissue, dispose of it as soon as possible and wash your hands afterwards.
What We’re Doing About COVID-19 at Halifax Stanfield
HIAA is updating and implementing our pandemic plan to reflect what we know about COVID-19 and how we can help manage the impact of this virus in our facility and community if needed. Other steps we’re taking include the following:
- We’re asking all passengers, visitors and employees to practice social distancing, meaning individuals should keep a distance 2 metres (6 feet) from others and avoid non-essential gatherings.
- We’re posting and sharing public health information with a focus on social distancing, frequent hand washing, and other steps employees and passengers can take to reduce the spread of germs.
- We’ve hired additional cleaning staff and increased the sanitization of touchpoints and high-traffic areas throughout the terminal building and parkades. Other areas of focus include, but are not limited to, check-in screens and counters, baggage drop touch screens, the CBSA customs facility and public tables and seating.
- We’ve deployed more hand sanitizing stations for public use in strategic locations around the terminal building.
- We continue to stay in close contact with public health officials federally and provincially to ensure we can share the latest updates with our employees, airport community members and passengers.
- We’ve paused our Tartan Team volunteer program and St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program.
- We’ve asked HIAA employees who can safely and effectively work at home to do so, to limit employee-to-employee contact. Additional precautions are being taken for employees involved in the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the airport terminal building and airfield, including social distancing.
- As an employer, we’re supporting the provincial government requirement regarding travel outside of Nova Scotia. Until further notice, any HIAA employee who has travelled outside of Nova Scotia will be required to self-isolate for 14-days upon return.
Food, Beverage & Other Services at Halifax Stanfield
As this situation evolves, the food, beverage and retail services in the terminal building may be limited and their hours of operation are subject to change.
Food services are only offering take-out, and tables and seating in the food court have been removed, to follow the provincial government’s restrictions on in-person dining at restaurants.
The Nova Scotia Visitor Information Centre in Arrivals is closed until further notice.